VICTORIANS are having their say on road users’ behaviour as part of a parliamentary inquiry looking into road safety.
The Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee is investigating the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users with a specific focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic changed how Victorians use the road,” Committee chair Alison Marchant said.
“More people are driving, walking or cycling rather than using public transport, and more people are working from home, shifting traffic patterns.
“In addition, the Committee’s preliminary research suggests that road users are not using the roads as safely as they could be.”
The Committee is encouraged by the number of submissions received so far and urges more Victorians to share their observations on road users’ behaviour during and after the pandemic.
“We are especially interested in the impact of road safety behaviour on vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders, based on last year’s road trauma statistics,” Ms Marchant said.
In 2022, 52 per cent more pedestrians and 30 per cent more motorcycle riders lost their lives on the road than in 2021.
Fifty-six per cent of lives lost in Victoria in 2022 were on rural roads, even though less than 25 per cent of Victorians live outside of Melbourne.
“We are interested to hear from road safety experts if these statistics indicate a trend, or if 2022 was an exception,” Ms Marchant said.
“We also want to know experts’ views on how the pandemic shaped road users’ behaviour, and how this information can be used to improve road safety.”
Submissions to the inquiry are open until May 19 2023. For more information on the inquiry, including how to make a submission, go to the Committee’s website: https://new.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/committees/legislative-assembly-economy-and-infrastructure-committee/
The Committee plans to hold public hearings later this year and will report to Parliament in March 2024.
